Bangalore: It has been two weeks since Rahul Dravid bequeathed his throne as captain of India. But even today, neither the national selectors nor the senior players have been told why he did what he did. But, for a man who is as stubborn as his impregnable defence, it wouldn’t matter what others say or feel. We could say let bygones be bygones and be glad that he has made way for Mahender Singh Dhoni. But we need to understand why he chose to walk away when Indian cricket was just about finding its feet after the 2007 World Cup debacle in the West Indies. He is known to be an astute cricketer, a fine judge of the line of the ball, shouldering arms to deliveries which are a shade outside off stump. He is a good timer of the ball and is known to be careful about everything he does and says. But he timed his resignation poorly. It probably must rank as one of the most dastardly getaways in Indian cricket. Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly were as surprised as anybody on the street. So was Dilip Vengsarkar, who was with the team in England, where India won a historical Test series and lost the ODI series 3-4. “He never mentioned this during the entire tour. But when I asked him why he backed off, he said, ‘he could not take it any longer’,” said a senior member of the team. Was he a troubled soul? Did he not have the confidence of his mates? Did the selectors rankle him? Was there a lobby working against him? Was he tired of captaincy? Come to think of it, he had longed to lead the side, playing his cards in Ganguly’s dethroning and subsequent exit from the team. Did Ganguly’s robust return, and that of Zaheer Khan — who had contradicted his “the bowlers were tired” decision not to enforce the follow-on in the third Test England — unsettle him? He certainly can’t blame the selectors, for they entrusted him with the job even after India had been unceremoniously ousted from the 2007 World Cup. They had stood by him even after he had washed his hands of the Cup debacle, saying, “He did not have to take media questions as he was no longer the captain of the team.” Did Tendulkar’s proximity to Ganguly disturb him? Possibly. That he did not back them when the team was picked for one-dayers against Bangladesh in the immediate aftermath of the Cup disaster must have peeved them. The copious amount of runs they produced on their return and their camaraderie, must have sat heavy on his mind. Two aspects came out clear during his stint as captain. One: he did not have time on tour for his mates. “He was to himself” was the common refrain. Possible, as his Karnataka teammates accused him of “looking after his own interests.” Two: the selectors often wondered why he did not ask for players for specific assignments, a virtue which Ganguly proudly wore on his sleeves. Only when they prompted him, would he ask for them. “A captain should be asking for players for specific roles. But somehow he never backed anyone,” said a selector. Whatever be the reason, Dravid should have prepared his mates, if not the selectors and the legion of fans who support the game, of what was to come. This time he did not time it well. Hopefully, he won’t make his retirement as “exciting” as his runaway. Rahul Dravid